​This monochromatic, black suit is emblematic of the “somber” and “restrained” dressing that has come to define 19th-century menswear. Its silhouette mimics the lines of the idealized male body. As historian Anne Hollander once put it, “all modern suits have been cut to suggest a male body that tapers from broad shoulders and a muscular chest, has a flat stomach and a small waist, lean flanks and long legs.” Although the jacket here is longer than typical suit styles today, its color, material, and tailored line can still be seen in contemporary equivalents, attesting to the style’s longevity.

Object Number: P90.2.4

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992